H
by AudreyvanGoth
Summary: Due to mature content reader's discretion is advised.
1. Chapter 1

This evening's leading _soprano_ was unfamiliar to him. He had been to several performances in this opera house and more or less he was familiar with the singers. But this girl, because that was the best word to describe her as she was only around her thirties, she was a new face. A new and a really pretty face. She was playing Gilda from Verdi's _Rigoletto_. Her voice was promisingly beautiful, but she was too young to sound at her best. But definitely she was promising. First he was only observing her voice but when the play arrived to her first _aria_ he realised that he was looking at her as a middle aged man looks at a beautiful, attractive and young woman. Her lips were red and as far he could see from where he was sitting, it wasn't red because she wore lipstick. This natural colour was so inviting that first he couldn't pay attention to anything else. He would have given anything on Earth to feel those red, charming lips. Later he examined her body. She was slim but not skinny. Her breasts were like two juicy apples ready to be tasted. He imagined her wearing only a veil, wrapped tightly around her flexible body. The thought of seeing her naked excited him. It was a long time ago he felt this in connection with a woman. He could hardly wait for the end of the performance.

And in the meantime he wanted her not to stop singing.

When Gilda finally died in her father's arms and the play was over he knew he had to find her and speak to her. He must. Luckily there was a little reception after the performance as to welcome the new _soprano_ and he managed to mingle with the singers. But he couldn't see her anywhere although this whole party was organised for her. He looked for nearly 20 minutes when he decided to have a drink before he continued his search. As he was approaching the bar and was about to order suddenly the woman standing in front of him turned around and crashed into him. The drink she was holding spilt all over her black dress.

" Cosa fai? Perché non guardi prima?"

"Mi dispiace ma non parlo italiano molto bene. Can we continue it in English?" It was her.

"Of course. Look at my dress you idiot!" The anger in her eyes was clearly detectable. He liked that. She had fire in her.

"I'm terribly sorry. I couldn't see you coming."

"I'm sorry too. I shouldn't have got so angry. It was my fault as well."

"May I order you another one, Miss…?"

"Charlotte Rosellini. Yes, I would like a dry martini."

When he was holding the drinks he guided her to a free table.

"I think I should introduce myself too. Dr. Thomas Fell."

"How come you are here, if you are a doctor and not a singer?"

"Well, I sneaked in. I wanted to meet you."

"Really? Why?"

"I loved your voice. It's remarkable at your age."

"Thank you. But you came here and made my dress to swim in dry martini to tell me that?"

"No. I wanted to tell you that I want to spend the night with you."

"That's a straight answer."

"And what would your answer be?"

"That I'm looking forward to have sex with you, Thomas." And she smiled at him. "Do you live nearby?"

"At the _Biblioteca Capponi._"

"So you are not a real doctor then, Doctor."

"No, I'm a scholar to be exact. I study the medieval Italian literature, especially Dante."

"How interesting. So shall we go, that's a long walk."

He helped her with her coat and put his hand around her waist. She leaned against him with her attractive body. When they got into a cab she sat tightly beside him and when the cab was in motion again, she turned to him and kissed him. Her lips were naturally red just as he thought and they tasted sweet. She unbuttoned his shirt and the next time he felt her hand on his chest. He pulled her closer and continued kissing her. As they arrived he gave the driver twice as much as he should have. The driver saw them climbing the stairs to the door. He wasn't surprised as in Florence many men had younger lovers. He was sure that this guy was married and had at least two children. But he wanted to have some excitement. He couldn't blame him for that. After all, that young little thing was really attractive. He himself would spend a night in her arms.

" This place is a mess. How can you live in such disorder?"

"Easily."

She smiled at him.

"Maybe I'm too fussy. I'm not a charwoman after all."

"I used to have one but she resigned after a month."

"Shall I say that I'm not surprised. So… Doctor. Where were we?" She sat on a table with her legs crossed and tossed down a few books on the floor.

"You should be more careful with those. They're antique." He went to her.

"Sorry. Next time I would be more careful."

"So there would be a next time?"

"That depends."

"On what?"

"I think you know."

She put her legs around his body and she kicked her shoes off meanwhile. Then she returned to his shirt and unbuttoned it totally. She dropped it on the floor. A few minutes later her dress joined it. Her body was just as attractive as he imagined it to be.

"D' you know that I felt you watching me?"

"Really?"

"Yeah. And I knew right at that very moment that I'm going to go home with you."

"Next time I'm watching a beautiful woman I will be more careful."

"No, you shouldn't. That excites the woman in question just as much as it excites you. And it felt so good. I really hoped that you would come after me. Do I look like as you imagined me to be?"

"Without doubt."

He wanted to take her right on that table but he changed his mind. Maybe another occasion but this first one should be different. So he lifted her and took her to the bedroom. Laid her on the bed but she sat up to get off his belt along with the trousers. Then she laid back. He got in the bed too and pulled her naked body against his. Her hands were tightly around him, as if she never wanted to let him go. Her perfume remained on her body even after getting rid off her dress. The fragnance of it matched her. It was young, powerful and sexy. As he touched her breasts she let out a little sigh. Then he couldn't resist longer.

Later, as they lay side by side in bed he felt a bit of guilt. This girl knew nothing of his past and he had sex with her nevertheless, knowing that the whole F.B.I. was right behind his back. 'Maybe I should have told her.' But right after this ridiculous thought a smile appeared around his lips. After all, what should have he tell her? That he killed 14 people and ate them. No, it was better to her remain in the dark. After all, tonight she let Thomas Fell into her body and not Hannibal Lecter.


	2. Chapter 2

He woke up earlier and silently got out of bed. As he was leaving, he looked behind to see whether she was still sleeping. Then he left the bedroom and went directly to find her bag. She gave herself to him too easily and that seemed awkward to him. What if she was with the police, or with the Interpol or with some other cocksucker institution. He found her identity card:

_Nome: _Charlotte

_Cognome: _Rosellini

_Luogo di nascitá_: Inghilterra

_Giorno di nascitá: _26 Giuglio 1980

_Nome della madre: _ Elizabeth Benington

_Indirizzo: _6 via della Rosa Rossa, Firenze.

That looked perfectly normal to him but of course, if she was with the police it had to be perfect. He decided to look further into this later. He put everything back into her bag and went to the kitchen to prepare something for breakfast.

The smell of coffee woke Charlotte up. First she had to concentrate hard to remember where she was but then she remembered. The memory of last night made her to let out a smile of satisfaction. 'It was really, really good. I would have never imagined him to do it so well.' She got out of bed and looked for her dress, but then remembered that it was in another room. She found some freshly ironed shirts in a wardrobe and put one on. She had no idea where the kitchen was as she only saw the living-room and the bedroom closely but she went after the smell.

"Good morning. You are really an early bird."

He turned around and looked at her. She only buttoned some of the buttons and like this, her white skinned chest was visible. Her long, back hair fell freely on her shoulders. He realised that she was indeed only 28 years old as even right after getting out of bed she looked gorgeous.

"Doy you like pancakes?"

" Certainly. I spent nearly all of my childhood in England and pancakes were one of the best things that happened to me there."

"Lucky guess."

"Yeah." She sat down to the table. He sat down opposite to her and poured some orange juice into the glasses.

"Why don't you sit here?" And she pointed to a chair next to her.

"I thought this would be less awkward."

"Oh, come on, Tom. Do you really think that this could get more awkward than it already is?" And she smiled.

"No, I guess not."

"Look. Last night, oh my God……last night was perfect. I don't mind anything I have done."

"I hoped you wouldn't because I would like to meet you again."

She sighed with relief.

"I was afraid that you would think that I'm a bitch and didn't want to see me again. But I'm not. Okay, I'm not a virgin, I had my little adventures but I only had sex with men I found really attractive. "

"So this implies that…."

"Yeah, you have something that captured me from the first moment I saw you in the audience. It's in your eyes, I think."

She got up and sat into his laps. He raised his head up and she kissed him. He pulled her body closer but she resisted gently.

"Sorry, believe me I would really like to repeat last night but I have to go to the theatre because we have a rehearsal."

"Are you playing tonight?"

"No, not tonight. We are only preparing for next Friday but this director…. He's really a pain in the ass. He keeps offering fucking me in every different position of the Kama Sutra. I hate him deep from the core."

"He must be annoying."

"Yeah. And he is obsessed with rehearsals. For heaven's sake, I studied for six years in the conservatory, I know how to sing Gilda. So I'm afraid I have to leave right after breakfast because I don't want to be late."

"When will you finish?"

"Around two o'clock. Why?"

"Because I give a lecture in the _Uffici_ at three and I hoped you would come."

"I would love to."

"Then I would pick you up at two."

"That's settled than." She kissed him again but this time it was only a brief, good-bye kiss. Then she got dressed and left. He had a shower and dressed up as well. Left the _Biblioteca_ and caught a taxi.

"Sei, via della Rosa Rossa, per favore."

"Certo, signore."

The house Charlotte lived in was old, like many houses in Florence but it was well-maintained. Flats in buildings like this weren't cheap to buy. He checked the mail boxes and found her name there.

"Lei posso aiutare?"

"Si. Do you know a certain Miss Rosellini?"

"Yes, signore, yes. She live up, up seveth piano. She one of the old residents. I know her padre. He was good man, really good. God rest him peace. Charlotte sing in the opera, she is benissima. Veramente benissima."

"Mille grazie."

So she was really a singer. 'Maybe I'm a bit too suspicious.'

At two o'clock he was standing before the entrance of the opera. She came out five minutes later.

"I was afraid that you wouldn't come."

"I enjoyed last night just as much as you did."

"Yeah, I realised that. Shall we go?"

"Yes. How about a walk?"

"From here to the _Uffici_? We'd better hurry then."

The city was full of tourists, who every now and then stopped them to ask the way. After a while Charlotte started to send them in the opposite direction.

"That's not very nice from you."

"Oh come on. They make me crazy, I think I deserve this little pleasure." She seemed to enjoy it and he liked that. She was really a remarkable woman. He stopped and turned to kiss this little tiger that she was inside.

"I want you."

She took him by the hand and led him into a narrow and rather dirty side street. There were garbage everywhere, thrown out mattresses, piles of litter bags and such stuffs. They found a little corner where they were hidden from the eyes of others. He pushed her gently to the wall. She breathed silently as she pulled him closer and closer until there was no room to move between them. Raised up one of her legs to her waist and whispered:

"Are you aware that we are going to be late?"

"I don't care."

The next moment they were one.

They were 10 minutes late when they finally reached the _Uffici_. First he escorted her to a seat at the first row. Then he went up to the podium to start his lecture. He began with an apology for being late and blamed the 'bloody traffic' of Florence. The audience laughed and he began to speak. Charlotte watched him speaking just as he watched her singing.

"How about a dinner at my place? I can fix up something if you'd like."

"That would be lovely. Let's get a taxi."

Some twenty minutes later they were getting out of the cab in front of Charlotte's apartment. He hoped that the guy he spoke to this morning would not appear. Luckily he didn't. Charlotte indeed lived on the seventh floor in a penthouse. It was wide and there were windows everywhere. He could see almost whole Florence from there.

"I'll go right to the kitchen to fix the meal. How about _saltinbocca alla romana e fusili alla carbonara_?"

"Sounds perfect."

"Have a look around, if you'd like." And she disappeared in the kitchen.

There were three rooms, a bedroom, a living-room and a study. The flat had a big bath and quite a large terrace with a little garden. There were flowers in it which were carefully looked after. When he finished looking around, joined her in the kitchen. She was chopping onion when he entered and didn't notice him just when she felt him kissing her neck.

"Nice garden."

"Thanks. That is one of my English feature, I love gardening, just like my mum."

"How did you like my speech?"

"It was really interesting, however, it was Arnault Daniel who Dante called _il miglior __fabro_ and not Guido di Cavalcanti." When she heard no answer she turned around.

"Why are you so surprised? Just because I let myself to be fucked so easily I'm not necessarily stupid. This was a little psychological experiment from my side. You are just like the other guys, who consider a woman stupid if she enjoys sex. But there are many things you don't know about me."

"Then please tell me."

"Quid pro quo."

He froze. It was not so long ago that he uttered this very sentence to another beautiful woman. But how could Charlotte know about this? Nobody was there just him and Agent Starling. She looked at him with surprise. He had to say something.

"What?" Maybe something better than this.

"I'm really surprised Doctor Fell. Quid pro quo, I tell you things about myself and you tell me things about yourself. Oh come on, don't be so shocked that I speak Latin."

"No. I'm not."

"But yes, you are."

"Then you should start. Tell me about yourself, then I promise I will do the same."

"Okay then. You already know that my mother was English. She studied medieval literature at Oxford university where she met my father,an italian, who was one of her professors. They fell in love, after graduating they got married and a year later I was born. We lived in England until I was 10 when my father was offered a job at _La Sapienza_ in Rome. So we moved to Italy. My parents were really fussy about education and I got the best they could offer me. I, myself studied for a while medieval literature. When my mother died of cancer, Dad wanted to get away from Rome, so we moved here. He died two years later than my mother. I was already at university at that time. I always loved this flat, I didn't want to move. I finished the conservatory and a day ago I met you. That's all. Your turn."

He knew that he had to speak. He didn't know the reason why he said the following sentence but he did:

"My name is not Thomas Fell. It's Hannibal Lecter." He examined her face but she showed no sign of recognition. "Does it ring a bell?"

"No, not really. Why, it should?"

"Yes. Do you have Internet connection?"

"Yes, but why?"

"Come with me."

They went into the study. He turned on the computer and searched for the F.B.I.'s homepage. Then he clicked on the Top 10 most wanted criminals. She followed every move he made. When she saw his photo on the page, she fell into the chair in front of the table. She automatically reached for the mouse on the table. She clicked on the link below his name. He left the room. He knew he should leave but somehow he didn't want to. He had no idea why he did this. Maybe because she was cleverer than he thought. He couldn't explain it to himself and that worried him. He sat down on the sofa in the living-room and waited for her to emerge from the study. After twenty minutes she did. He tried to read from her face but that was impossible. She sat down on the sofa too but a bit too far away from him. She raised her head.

"Why did you tell me this?"

"I can't explain it even to myself. It just happened. I think I should leave now."

"Why do you think that I won't turn you in to the police?"

"Because your standard of living is too good to be in need for the reward."

" Three million dollar is three million dollar. Maybe I live better than the average but I'm not a millionaire."

"I no you wouldn't do that."

"Why?"

"Because you enjoyed sex with me too much." He wanted to rise from the sofa but Charlotte got his hand.

"I don't want you to leave. What you said was right, you are just far too good a lover. And knowing what you have done just turned me on even more. Take me to the bedroom, it's the second on the left. Now." And she pulled him closer.


	3. Chapter 3

She has never felt something like this before. This intercourse was at the edge of madness. Had she never screamed before but this time it was impossible not to do so. No man had ever been so deep inside her. It almost felt as she was with someone else although he was still the same. But after the truth about his past was revealed, he changed. He gave himself to her easier, felt guilt no more. After all she was the one who asked him to stay. They arrived there together. She embraced him tightly to her chest while he was kissing those red lips that made him crazy. When she was finally able to speak, as she had run out of breath, she raised her head from his chest and looked at him.

"Do you know that you've just convinced me that I did it right not to let you leave?"

"Really? How so?

She looked him and tried to figure out whether he meant it seriously.

"May I ask you where have you been in the last half an hour??"

"I guess inside you."

"So you have noticed."

He smiled and touched her chin.

"This was really incredible."

"Yeah…. Next time you make me scream like this what should it be, Tom or Hannibal?

"You decide."

"Well… Hannibal would be more appropriate I guess. As before this it was someone else I had sex with in a certain sense."

She came closer and kissed him.

"But I like this new you better."

"Charlotte….Are you really okay with this?"

"Yeah, why shouldn't I?"

"You're really remarkable."

"Just as much as you are. Hannibal, do you mind if I ask something?"

"Of course I don't. Ask."

"Tell me, how does it feel when you kill someone."

He was surprised first but then he saw the interest in her eyes and this made him realise that this was the reason that made him tell everything to her. She had something dark in her, just like him.

"I can show you if you like."

"Don't fool me."

"No, I'm absolutely serious."

"How?" There was only mere excitement in her voice.

"That director of yours…."

"Nicola Palombi?"

"If that's his name. You said that he has been rude with you."

"I said he was pain in the ass."

He smiled. "Whatever. I hate those who are rude with others, especially with women. Maybe I could manage not to let him be rude again."

"And I would be there with you?"

"Correct. If you really would like to."

"More than anything. Or better to say more than anything except for this."

Next moment she was above him and the neighbours were made to wake up once again.

A few days of careful planning were enough to outline what are they going to do. First Charlotte had to agree to go out with Nicola. One Friday evening, after a rehearsal she stayed in the theatre until nobody was there except for Nicola. She went into his room and told him that she would like to go out for a dinner with him. It was amazing how easily the stupid prick agreed. He wasn't the least surprised as he was sure that Charlotte only agreed because she wants to use him to achieve more in the life of the theatre. He didn't mind that she only wanted to use him but he wanted to have her so much. He was longing for her too long. When they were sitting in the car and headed for a restaurant Charlotte told him that she couldn't wait longer and asked him to take her directly home. Nicola felt a sudden rush of excitement as he imagined fucking her. Charlotte noticed that as well and she felt disgust when she felt him touching her leg and heading towards another part of her body. But she couldn't push his hands away it would have ruined everything. Until now everything went fine. Nobody saw them leaving together. No eyewitnesses.

Nicola lived in a house in the outskirts of Florence. Hannibal followed them from the theatre and saw them entering the house. He knew he should hurry as that bastard couldn't wait to fuck Charlotte. He hurried to the front door and rang the bell. He was wearing gloves.

"Merda!" He heard Palombi swearing as he came to open the door.

"Buona sera." He said as he put the tissue wet from chloroform on Palombi's face. Seconds later he stopped resisting. He dragged his body into the house and Charlotte closed the door behind them. By that time she was wearing gloves too. She kissed him quickly.

"Good to see you. Look at this. This jackass tore my dress, my favourite one."

"Well, he won't do that again, that's for sure." She smiled at him.

"Okay, let's get this over with. Have you touched anything?"

Her answer was negative and they began. They laid Palombi on the dining table and tied him to it as to make it impossible for him to move when he would regain consciousness. When the chloroform wore off Charlotte knew that this was her time.

"Che cosa volete da me? Charlotte che cosa é sucesso? Dimmi! Puttana!"

"Lei non é una puttana, cazzo!"

"I had no idea you knew words like this in Italian."

"Una sorpresa."

"Ditemi che cosa volete da me! ADESSO!!

But they ignored him. The next moment Nicola felt a blade in his stomach. He cried out loud but Charlotte pushed a pillow against his face. He wanted to push her away be he couldn't move. He was running out of air so she took the pillow off. He tried to catch his breath as if he had dived deep into the sea. His stomach was aching and felt his blood running along his body.

"Would you like to continue?"

"Yes." Her voiced was determined. She took the knife out of Hannibal's hand and turned to Nicola.

"Charlotte, no. Per favore, NO! Ti pregoooo..."

"Non mi interessi." And she pushed the knife into his chest, where she thought his heart was. Nicola screamed from pain but this time it was Hannibal's turn to push the pillow against his face. They had no idea whether he died because of the knife in his heart or because he drowned but a few minutes later he moved no more. His blood was everywhere around the table and on the floor. They changed a look above the body.

"So, what was it like?"

"I have no word to describe what I feel. I enjoyed it. Really."

As he was watching her features he knew she told the truth. She felt his look on her face and raised her eyes from the dead to look at him.

"What?"

"Do you think what I think?"

"Well I hope so." They made out in Palombi's blood. It felt like heaven.


	4. Chapter 4

I carabinieri were at an absolutely loss in connection with the death of Nicola Palombi

_I carabinieri_ were at an absolutely loss in connection with the death of Nicola Palombi. It was clear this was a _vendetta_ but there was no forensic evidence who did it.

"Lavoro dei professionisti." That was what the police kept saying to the press, but it was far too clear for everyone that they were just trying to cover their asses. There was no trace to start with so they gave up after a while.

Life at the opera hasn't changed much. A new director arrived and everything went on like it did before. Charlotte was out of the list of suspects when the actors talked about the possible killers. Everybody knew that Palombi was a jerk and was full of enemies.

The new director met with Charlotte's expectations. He made her work hard but the hard work brought recognition as well. She didn't really mind when she had to stay in till midnight because of a rehearsal, but Hannibal did. He missed her body too much, because when she finally got home, around one in the morning she was too tired.

But this night she managed to get away early and to her surprise when she got home nobody was there. So she took her time and cleaned up a little and fixed something for dinner. But he still didn't come. She didn't want to start to worry, she didn't want him to see the anxiousness in her eyes. To pass away the time she sat down to the piano and started to play an Epica song:

_It feels so warm when you are near  
You are all I want to feel  
Tell me now, is this for real?  
It's hard to breathe  
We're all lost and travelled high, cannot find my peace of mind  
When the sun will rise again, we'll fly away  
Take the stairs to the stars  
Wander long, travel far  
Someday  
A summer breeze makes all of our winters freeze  
Autumn leaves  
There's no chance for spring's romance  
We linger on but leave the past behind us  
Old lovers live it all anew  
But chances are so few  
Windows open up to life  
Put your worries all aside  
Sacred silence closes doors for opened eyes  
Take the stairs to the stars  
Wander long, travel far  
Someday  
Always  
A summer breeze makes all of our winters freeze  
Autumn leaves  
There's no chance for spring's romance  
We linger on but leave the past behind us  
Old lovers live it all anew  
But chances are so few  
And choices are so true..._

_(Epica:Linger)_

She didn't hear when Hannibal finally arrived. But he heard her singing as he climbed the stairs. The thought of her presence pleased him. He stopped in the door of the room where the piano stood. Her back was naked in the dress she wore and her skin was inviting to be touched, however, he decided to let her finish the song. She only noticed his presence when he applauded. She jumped on the chair.

"You scared the hell out of me. It's nice of you to……..My God! What happened to your hands? They are bleeding…."

"Don't worry, it's not mine."

"Then whose?"

"Some little shit tried to mug me on the way home. Don't look so frightened, it's no importance."

She tried to overcome her feelings by getting some towels from the bathroom for him.

"He's dead?"

"Yeah."

She avoided his eyes.

"Dinner's ready."

"Nice."

But they never made to the kitchen. They have been longing for eachother far too long and they ended on the table where Charlotte sat the first night they met. Luckily there were no books this time…

She was _Aida _tonight. Her face changed totally because of the Egyptian stiled make-up. She looked like an expensive porcelain in a shop window. Hannibal loved watching her playing. He imagined what would they do in her dressing room when the act would finally end. Then suddenly he felt someone watching. He turned around and his eyes met Rinaldo Pazzi's. The _commendatore _was clearly embarrassed when he realised that he was watching him. Hannibal wasn't pleased to see that guy. Somehow he behaved too suspiciously when he was near to him. And now Charlotte was here too. He didn't want to mess her up into anything. 'Why this opera?' He knew he couldn't meet her after the act like this. He only wished she wouldn't come after him but luckily she didn't. However when they were finally at home she demanded an explanation.

"Charlotte. I think I'll have to leave for a while."

"Why?" She was scared, her voice told it.

"I think somebody else found out who am I. I may have to leave Florence."

"I'll come with you."

"No."

"Why?"

"Because I want you to stay out of these things. I don't want anything to happen to you."

"I'm a big girl, I can take care of myself."

"Of course you can. But you will stay here. I have a few things to settle anyway in the USA. But nothing is sure. Maybe I'm mistaken. I think we have to wait patiently and let things happen."

"How I hate this."

"I will make some necessary precautions just to make sure."

" Be careful. Promise me that you will be."

"I have always been."

"T'amo." She whispered these words almost silently however he heard them. He replied that he loved her too but she wasn't able to decide why there was a minute of pause before he said the words. Maybe it was only because she was whispering. However she had to admit to herself that what she said was true. She was in love and she didn't want to loose him. But she was forced to do so.

He had to flee after a night he killed Pazzi and some other guy who was after him. Charlotte insisted on going with him but he didn't let her. He promised that they will meet after five weeks in Egypt, when all is said and done. She kissed him and tried to get over the aching of her heart. She had a bad premonition and after the five weeks it turned out to be true.

She was waiting at the airport of Cairo but when the plane from America arrived he wasn't among the passangers. She panicked but then she thought that he may have taken another flight. She stayed at the airport until the last plane arrived that day. He didn't come. She rushed back to the hotel and turned on CNN. She was sure that if he was caught it would make the headlines. But there was nothing in the news about Hannibal Lecter. The next day she went to the airport again and stayed there until the last plane arrived from America. Then she hurried back to the hotel again to watch the news. She continued on doing this for a week. But no matter how hard it was she had to face the truth. He would never come. She went back to Florence. She knew nothing of Special Agent Clarice Starling.


End file.
